Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Summer makeup that stayed put in 38 degree heat!

Well I'm back from galavanting in France for the week where I sweated more than I ever have in my whole entire life! Like I'm talking water gushing out of my forehead. That's what going away at the end of July will do, but I'd been checking the weather app for weeks beforehand and knew what I was in for, so packed my makeup accordingly. And I thought a post showing what I brought, what stayed on my face all day and what you can bring if you're heading away to hotter climates this year, might be a good one.

I wanted to bring one of my trusted SPFs away with me that I knew would last all day, that would keep me matte, would protect my skin and that my foundation would go on top of easily. The Vichy Ideal Soleil Mattifying Face Fluid Dry Touch SPF (€15) is just a deadly product and I used it on my face, neck, chest and arms and didn't burn a single bit. For those with oily skin, it's fantastic in that it dries matte quickly, doesn't leave the skin feeling chalky and it's a product I've bought time and time again.

For foundation, again, I wanted something that would stay put, that would give a matte finish without leaving me looking dry or cakey and that's why I brought the Note Cosmetics Mineral Foundation in shade 01 (€12.95). The lightest shade is too dark for me, but once blended down the neck, I'm a vision of loveliness. I've done a full review of it earlier this year but if you're looking for a base with a matte texture but that leaves your skin looking radiant, then you need to try this. It's the business.

My powder of choice was the Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof powder (€31). I had high hopes for it, but it far exceeded my expectations. I showed the water literally squirting from my forehead in France and this did not budge. When the sweats dried up, it kept my oil at bay for the whole day and kept me looking decent while I lost half my body weight in moisture! It's one of those powders that helps blur pores and even before I went away, I was using it loads over dewy bases and I can't say a bad word about it.

For brows, I brought my trusty Kiss NY Pro Fine Precision Brow Pencil (€11.99) in Taupe which is still going strong. I can't say a bad word about it and it ticks all of my brow boxes in terms of longevity, pigmentation, colour and price. Because of it, I can't spend any more than this on a brow product!

It was a no brainer when trying to decide what to bring for my eyes because I wanted something small, handy, and something I'd get a few looks out of. I took my beloved Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat palette (€32) and it's just the best little set of shadows. I used it to create day and night looks and it's one of my all time favourite palettes ever. I nearly forgot the Urban Decay Primer Potion (€22) which would have been catastrophic for my scaldy oily eyelids! It's like cement on my lids and in the heat and the sweats, I had minimal creasing if any. I can't be without my primer potion and it really is the best eyeshadow primer I've ever tried.

My YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils "The Curler" mascara (€32.50) survived the equivalent of me sitting on the sun for the week with the heat in the high 30s and it did not budge one single bit. I spent a lot of time crying laughing with Catherine too (it's all saved on my Instastories!) and again, this was budge proof. I'm going to give this its own blog post because it's a brilliant mascara and it takes a lot for me to love a high end one like this. The proof is in the eyelash pudding when it comes to mascaras, and this one is just fantastic!

For my cheeks, I picked some of my favourites and also had to factor in the size of the products too, so I brought the Max Factor Bronzer in Bronze (€15), which gives the most gorgeous soft focused warmth to the skin and is one of the best budget bronzers on the market. If you're looking for something matte, this ain't for you, but try it and you'll fall in love.

I had to bring Kiko Smart Colour Blush in shade 7 (€5.95), one of the best bright corals I've ever tried and I've tried a lot. I know I talk about this blush a lot, but nothing else has gotten a look in over the last few months! And a little goes a long way. I definitely want to pick up more of these in the autumn and I can't recommend them enough!

Finally, I was able to glow like never before in France last week. I had a natural sheen 24/7 because of the water leaking out of my face, but I still needed that extra glow, and that's where my beloved Benefit Dandelion Twinkle (€34) came in. Dusted across my cheekbones, I was a vision of radiance and when I wanted to amp up my eyes a bit, I patted it on my lids and inner corner for a little je ne sais quoi. I know. I'm verdy French altogether now. Ooh la la!

I was so proud of myself for only bringing what I needed, for using everything that I brought and for picking bits that didn't slide off my face every day!

Now look at this photo. It was taken on the sun where it was a million degrees, the sweat was pumping out of me, I couldn't see what I was doing, but I was loving life and had the trust that my makeup wasn't going anywhere! A couple of minutes cooling down in the air con and you'd be none the wiser because my makeup looked flawless.

This next photo was taken prior to us galavanting through Cotignac, having the lols and while the hair went up a few minutes due to the neck sweats, my face stayed put and sure where would you be going!

So my advice is if you're going to somewhere hot, take these bits and you'll be grand. Ok bye.